Closure to Home
by Alysia Of The Pen
Summary: A series of lai poems about Hans and Elsa, continuing after the events of Frozen. Helsa/Iceburns. Poems that tell a story.


**Part One: Nedleggelse [Closure]**

1.

He still calls to her.

She hears him advise,

_Don't be_

She wonders if it's

Alright to listen:

_The monster_

He turned out to be

The real monster, yet

_You are_. 

2.

He always feels cold.

Even sweating, he's cool.

Her ice.

If only he had gone

After her, been more

Brave, kind,

Maybe she wouldn't

Be haunting his heart

And nights. 

3.

She turns them all down.

She has good reasons, but

He is

The real one, not that

Anyone can ever

Know it.

She'd deny knowing

Herself, if she could

Dream less. 

4.

He isn't freezing.

It's a shame, too. It

Would be

A reason that he

Could return to her

Presence.

But things have a way

Of resolving, since

She writes. 

5.

She has him, in chains,

And no one can know.

Not Anna.

Not even her council

Was told. They'd think

Her silly.

A queen needs to have

Strength, decisiveness,

Closure.

* * *

**Part Two: Skriker [Screaming]**

6.

For once, he does not

Know what his goal is.

No plan,

No way out out this

Cell, so why not just

Let go?

It's been so long, his

Screams start weakly, but

She's glad. 

7.

She wanted to know him.

He'd been mystery:

A prince

Who would leave Anna

To die, but rescued

The witch,

Who only lied when it

Was truly needed,

Who failed. 

8.

He shows her, without

Meaning to, what she

Wanted to

Know: he is rage, fire,

Self-destruction in the

Face of

That long line of faces

That all prove he is

Worthless. 

9.

She sees herself in

That pain, and she sees

Anna too.

What she could have been

If their parents, too,

Had shut

Her out like Elsa had.

She hugs her tighter.

"Just 'cause." 

10.

He wonders why she

Listens intently

To him.

She, frozen power

Itself, beloved

By all,

Even him, and yet she

Nods with deep, wet eyes

At him.

* * *

**Part Three: ****Går videre [Moving on]**

11.

She hasn't changed his

Sentence, or let him

Go free.

His trial was held: life

In jail, no time off.

So says

The court of his home.

They must think she likes

Torture. 

12.

He finds some peace there,

In those bursts of talk

With her.

He can't reflect her,

For she gleams too bright.

And why?

Why bother to lie?

When she grasps truth, so

Eager? 

13.

Finally, she tells

Them all he is here.

It hurts.

It takes days to show

Them why she did it,

But months

To regain their trust.

And still she would push

For him. 

14.

It wasn't love, they knew,

That made her bring the

Priest down.

It was a mercy that

The council came to

Value.

A grace Anna

Had to admire in

The end. 

15.

She let in suitors

As if it was a

"Sorry."

Letters and gifts came,

Rides and balls wore on,

Yet each

And every day, she came

Down to the same cell

To talk.

* * *

**Part Four: Vokse [Grow]**

16.

He knew it was now

Just a matter of time

Before

The talks would end. She

Would tire of him, use

Him up,

Move on to the grand

Public life she was

Born for. 

17.

But it was Anna

Who decided when

The end

Had to come. Into

Bright sun they pushed

Him, and

Onto a ship, where chains

Were replaced with a

Bucket. 

18.

It was weeks before

He knew what and why

Things had

Changed. When he was

Given a uniform,

They tossed

A letter on top, from

Her Majesty, Queen

Elsa. 

19.

Tears and frost still stain

The page. Life in jail's

Too much.

Anna begged her

To make him leave, and

She thought

It best to let him

Go where he could prove

Himself. 

20.

So it begins. He works

Day and night and day.

No favors.

Extra duties, no friends, and

Some whispers of war,

But still

He reads the letter in

His head, and clings to

His goal. 

21.

It's vague, at first, but

Soon he knows it's out

Of reach.

So he pretends it's

Something smaller, and

Simpler.

Her respect, her sister's

Forgiveness, is all

He asks.

* * *

**Part Five: Seier [Victory]**

22.

War comes, as always, with

Hot blood and distant

Screaming.

Old muscle memory

Blends with new will, and

He flies

Through the air on ropes,

Sword whistling through

Her foes. 

23.

What was a slow climb

Becomes a race to

The top,

Not for the view but

From necessity.

Too many

Officers gone, and no

Good reason to stop

His rise. 

24.

She reads the letters

From those officers

Still left,

With glowing face and

Frosting hands, and prays,

After

All is said and done,

Something will change their

Places up. 

25.

The fight comes home, and

There is nothing said

Aloud.

None deny his part in

The victory, even

Anna.

The pardon bestowed

Is unanimous,

And cheered. 

26.

The victory ball is

Loud, crowded, and full

Of nerves.

In three years, they each

Have come so far, yet

He waits.

His brother leers across

The room, with hands on

Her waist. 

* * *

**Part Six: Alene [Alone]**

27.

Unknowingly, they

Each go to the priest,

And beg,

How do I find my

Way out of this place

And to

The thing I want most?

He advises retreats

To both. 

28.

When admiral and

Queen see each other,

They blanch.

They blush, as rocks grow

Wild and loud around

Their feet.

They run, then walk, to

Colder heights, where she

Can work. 

29.

He asks a cell, for

Old times' sake, and she

Crafts one.

They sit and talk and

Smile and shake their heads

A lot.

Each hopes the other feels

What they do, will break

The ice. 

30.

Surprisingly, it's

He who starts to say,

"My queen,

Please tell me that you

Can let me stay in

Your light.

A place beside you, in

Humble service, is

All I—" 

31.

She nods, and hides her

Disappointment. Not

For his

Humility, but

What she expected,

Faintly,

In her heart. She tells

Him of his brother and

The ring. 

32.

It's hours later

When it all comes out.

She said

No, and can't explain

To anyone why she

Did so.

She's grasping his hand

So tightly, it gives

Him hope.

33.

With gentle hands,

A soft, deep voice, he

Asks her,

"If I had asked you

That question, my queen,

Would you—"

She turns, all short breaths

And wide eyes and slow,

Red smile.

* * *

**Part Seven: Hjem [Home]**

34.

There is no more fear.

There is no more chill.

Love, warm,

Fills the air of the

Church and castle that

Spring day.

When Anna brings him

Off his knees and smiles,

He's home.

* * *

(A/N: A _lai_ is a French poetry form with nine lines. Its structure is aabaabaab, with 5 syllables in each 'a' line and 2 syllables in each 'b' line. Once I started, I couldn't stop. May write a longer, prose version of this someday.)


End file.
